U.S. congressman Dana Rohrabacher has warned Iran its days are numbered after widespread protests gripped the country, The Daily Star reports. The Republican said the end of the Islamic Republic is in sight, saying the regime could be kicked out of power “in the blink of an eye”.
Protests in the country have continued this month after first erupting late last year due to anger at soaring unemployment and economic problems. These spiralled into bigger demonstrations as citizens vented their anger at the regime ruled by religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
But despite Tehran clamping down on the protests, with hundreds of demonstrators rounded up and arrested, Mr Rohrabacher said they signal the end for the regime.
He was speaking yesterday at a conference in Paris organised by the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the People’s Mojahedin Organisation of Iran (PMOI). Mr Rohrabacher, who is the head of the Foreign Affairs Committee on Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats, told Daily Star Online:
“This uprising, although right now it looks like it has gone away, but it has not. It is just under the surface right now and can pop up at any moment. I think the prospects [for a regime change] are very, very good. The mullah regime’s days are numbered. The uprising that started several months ago is now right under the surface. It can jump up again before anyone knows and the mullah regime could end up being kicked out of power in a blink of an eye. Their days are numbered.”
Mr Rohrabacher also praised Prudent Donald Trump’s approach to Iran, saying the days of the United States turning a blind eye are over.
Previous President Barack Obama was repeatedly criticised for his failure to address Iran. This included Obama brokering a nuclear deal with the country that saw billions of dollars of assets unfrozen, which it is claimed Iran has used to fund Islamist terrorism around the world with. But Mr Rohrabacher said any regime change must be forced by Iranian citizens, with the U.S. helping. He explained:
“The most important thing for our President is not to do things that undermine those who are struggling in the streets against the dictatorship. We have to be very strong and very tough on the mullahs’ regime. But we cannot do the job for the people of Iran. We have to let them know that we are on their side but they cannot count on the US to be the one that makes the change of the regime in their country. We believe in regime change in Iran but it has to come from within and not from without.”
Mr Rohrabacher has warned that unless the regime is overthrown, it will continue to spread Islamist terrorism around the world, adding:
“Some of the worst part of this is that you have a regime in Tehran that is based on a fanatic religious conviction of radical Islamic theory that they are spreading through terrorism and through meddling and violence throughout the region and even in different parts of the world. The mullah regime is an enemy of democratic government.”
NCRI leader Maryam Rajavi also said the protests show the regime is on the brink of crumbling.